Mallikarjuna Rao named head of online sales at Xiaomi India

BENGALURU: Xiaomi India has pressed refresh on its leadership playbook, elevating Mallikarjuna Rao B V to head of online sales across all categories for Xiaomi India, while also entrusting him with the PocoIndia brand across all channels.

The move marks a pivotal shift for the company as it looks to sharpen its digital edge. Rao steps into the role after a standout stint as head of channels for offline sales, where he helped rewrite the script for Xiaomi’s brick-and-mortar business.

During his tenure, the offline network saw a strong revival driven by clear and transparent partner policies, smart use of technology, and close collaboration with retailers and distributors. The result was renewed momentum and a noticeable lift in trust across the channel ecosystem.

Now, Rao brings that same playbook to the online arena, overseeing Xiaomi and Redmi’s digital portfolios while also steering Poco across channels. With consumer buying journeys blurring lines between online and offline, the appointment signals Xiaomi India’s intent to knit its sales strategy into one seamless experience.

For Xiaomi, it is less about a change of chair and more about continuity of momentum, with a leader who has already shown a knack for turning strategy into scale.